Court Indicts Prison Terror Gang that Planned Kidnappings

Another gang that planned to kidnap Israelis and hold them hostage in return for the release of terrorists has been indicted

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Moshe Cohen, 23/06/14 16:19

Hamas terrorists (file)

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Israeli prosecutors on Monday filed an indictment in a Beersheva court accusing five suspects, several of them high-level security prisoners, of planning to conduct terror attacks against Israelis on behalf of an Arab terror organization.

The group was planning to kidnap IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens in order to arrange for the release of terrorists from Israeli prisons. Among those on the list to be negotiated for would be the terrorists who planned the kidnapping. According to the indictment, one of the suspects, who is already serving two life sentences for terror activities also attempted to recruit other prisoners for the terror activities.

Funding for the terror activities was set to come from Hamas. The money, along with weapons and cellphones, was to have been supplied by a Hamas agent who had access to the prison. The court extended the remand of the indicted individuals who are not currently in prison until the completion of proceedings against them.

Last month, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) nabbed a terror cell planning to carry out a series of kidnappings after their release from prison. The attack, which was in the planning stages, was supposed to take place in April, 2014.

Security forces have thwarted dozens of plots to kidnap IDF soldiers since the 2011 prisoner exchange with Hamas, which saw over 1,000 terrorists released in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Since then, intelligence services have reported that motivation to kidnap soldiers among terrorist groups have skyrocketed.